Malfatto il Mentore
by yawnekxela
Summary: Malfatto has had apprentices in the past, Seraffo being one of them, but none of them ever turned out how he wanted. When he meets a young girl with an angry past, he feels she is the perfect specimen for a new apprentice. Is she?


**Warning:** _The story is in English with some Italian phrases. There is a glossary at the bottom of every chapter for you convenience. Enjoy._

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Malfatto walked along the path that was carved into the ground by decades of horse-driven carts being rolled over it as the rain poured down heavily, however, Malfatto did not feel a drop. With an abrupt turn to the left, he ventured into the forest. Only Malfatto knew of the way to his domain. A small shack that resided deep in the woods was where he lived alone. The walk was long but it made him feel safe. Well, as safe as a serial killer could feel.

Up ahead, Malfatto saw something-someone who ran towards him. "Hm?" he hummed as he halted to a stop. Never had he seem someone else in this forest. As the person got closer, he came to realize that it was a child. _'A young girl?'_ he thought. He stood there as the girl continued to run. He figured she didn't see him since she did not stop. Then finally, she ran into him.

Her small size caused her to bounce off of his naturally steady stance and she was sent backwards to the ground. She looked up and, terrified by the strange man with the bird mask that looked down at her, pushed herself backwards to get away. "Please don't kill me!" she pleaded. "I'm only twelve!"

"I do not kill children," Malfatto responded. "You have nothing to worry about.

The girl stood up and made sure to keep her distance from the stranger. "Who do you kill?" she asked.

Malfatto saw the pure childish innocence in her face. It was an innocence that yearned to be corrupted. He wanted to ruin her innocence. However, not in a sexual way. No. He wanted to take her on as an apprentice. He wanted to turn her into a serial killer. "I kill courtesans." He began to walk. "Come, child."

"With you?" Though she asked, she did not hesitate to follow him, for fear that children would be added to his list if she didn't. The two continued down the route Malfatto originally headed down just before he met the girl. Not too much later, they arrived at Malfatto's home. He opened the door and the girl marveled at it. From the outside, it looked like a small shack. On the inside, it was more like a cottage. There was a small kitchenette with a table and a chair. It was obvious that only one person occupied the place. There wasn't much of a living area, but there were two doors across from the entrance.

"What is your name, child?" Malfatto asked.

"Isabella..." answered the child.

'Twelve years old...' Malfatto thought.

"What is your name, messere?"

There was a long pause before he answered. "Malfatto...but you will call me Mentore..."

"Malfatto..." She thought about the name. She'd heard it before. "Certainly 'il Dottore' isn't your last name..." He was the monster she was told about at night. _Don't become a prostitute because Malfatto il Dottore will come and kill you with his syringe._

'So she has heard of me...' He didn't so well-known that children would know who he was, so he was a little shocked. "No. But that is what they call me." Malfatto moved to the table and sat down in the chair. "You do not have a home, correct?"

"No, signore..." she answered after another long pause. "I have been alone for three years now..."

"Three years?" He was shocked. She was only a child. "How have you survived?" There was no possible way a child could survive three years alone. Not with the Black Plague and all of the crime that went on, there was just no way.

"Over the years, I have stayed with various people. But I ran away from them all because they all wanted something from me. I have nothing to give."

_'What could anyone possibly want from a child?'_ Malfatto thought. Then it occurred to him. "Tell me, child...did any of these people try to force themselves on you?" If there was one thing Malfatto hated more than courtesans, it was child rapists. The look in her eyes changed drastically. It was the look of pain. Physical pain. Emotional pain. Mental pain. Malfatto could work with that. He removed his mask. "I promise you, I will not hurt you."

A single tear fell from the girl's eyes and she fought back the rest. "Grazie, signore."

He could see that she was a strong-willed girl. She'd make the perfect apprentice. Her pain would drive her to kill those who had hurt her. "You must be tired." He pointed to the left door across from the entrance. "You can sleep in that room." It was quiet for what felt like an eternity. Outside, the rain poured down harder and thunder could be heard nearby. "I have decided to take you on as an apprentice. This can be your home now. It is not much but I can guarantee your safety here." He removed his hat and placed it on the table along with his bird mask. "Sleep now. You will begin your apprenticeship tomorrow."

Isabella stared at him for a minute. A small smile appeared on her lips as her fear of him began to diminish. "Mille grazie, signore," she said before she retreated into the room he told her to sleep in.

Once he realized he was alone, he let out a deep sigh. The last time he took on an apprentice, they turned into a carbon copy of himself. Malfatto did not want that again. He wanted to train her to do her own thing. 'I will not have another Seraffo," he thought.

Malfatto yawned. The days spent standing at the medical stall took a toll on the doctor. Not to mention the walk to and from. However, he had just given the only bed to a child. He began to remove his cloak. He laid it over the table, leaned forward on it and rested his head on his arms. "I need to make sleeping arrangements," he mumbled. There was no way he was going to sleep at the table for however many years it would take to train Isabella.

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**Glossary of Italian Phrases**

**Mentore **Mentor

**(Mille) grazie **Thank you (very much)

**Signore/Messere** Sir/Mister

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**Author's Note:**

My goal with this story is to humanize a serial killer.


End file.
